Feeler mechanism for looms



atented Aug. 5, 1924.

NETE@ STT nennen, rafael-mitteln ron. Loon/rs.`

Application filed June 2G, 1320].

To aZZwwm t may concern.'

Be it known that I, HENRY H. Govn, a citizen of the United States, residing` at Biddeford, in the county of York and State of Maine, have invented certain improvements in Feeler Mechanisms for Looms, of which the following description, inV connection with the accompanying drawings, is a specification, like reference characters` on the drawings indicating like parts inthe several figures-` This invention relates to automatic looms and is concerned particularly with the feeler mechanisms for looms of this type. As is well understoood by those skilled in this art, a very common commercial type of automatic loom comprises a feeler that engages the bobbin inthe running shuttle at every other pick, and which operates when the lilling onthe bobbin reaches aV point of critical exhaustion to throw intoA operation a mechanism which ejects the spent bobbinfrom the shuttle and inserts a. full bobbin therein. It is obvious that the adjustment of the feeler must be very accurate in order to make a, loom of this type work satisfactorily. That is, if it initiates the action of the' bobbin changing mechanism before the filling has become substantially exhausted, then an unnecessary Vamount of this filling will be wasted since the weft on the ejected bobbin is sc short that it is useless for anything ei:- cept scrap. Ontheother hand, if the feeler does not initiate the action of the weft replenishing mechanism before the filling is fully exhausted, the weft will run out at an intermediate point inthe shed and thus will Vproduce a flaw in the goods, It is practically impossible, however, to keep a. loom in the adjustment required to produce this advantageous result for any length of time. This is a recognized defect in these machines and is produced by many causes, among which may be mentioned especially the imperfect position of the bobbin in the running shuttle, Vibration in the machine, and similar conditions. Consequently, it is necessary to readjust the feeler mechanism of looms of this type at very frequent intervals in order toreduce so far as possible. the quantity of waste thread on the ejected bob- Vbins and still have the. machines weave perfeet goods.

It is the chief object of the present invention to cure the defects and overcome the GOV'E DE BDDEFOBD, MAINE; CHLRLQTTE M. i

0F SAI'D HENRY, H. GOVE, DECEASED.

uova aniarursraarnix Serial No. 391,820.

`for a long time.' In other words, it is an object of the invention to devise a feeler mechanism which will produce more uniform resuits than those heretofore used. i

The invention also is directed to the provision of a feeler mechanism which will be very reliable in"operation, economical to manufacture, will require a minimum of attention, and which can be easily adjusted.

The nature of the invention will be readily understood from the following description when read in connection with the accompanying drawings, and the novel features will be particularly pointed out in the appended claims. 'A i Referring now to the drawings,

Figure is an angular view illustrating a mechanismr embodying the present invention and showing it applied'to a loom;

Fig. 2 is an end View, partly in elevation and partly in vertical cross section, of the construction shown in Fig. l;

Fig. 3 is a view similar to Fig. 2 but showing only the parts adjacent to the lay;

Fig. t is an angularfview illustrating in a skeleton forni the mechanism shown in Fig. 1;., i

Fig. 5 -is a side elevation showing the lfeeler itself and the parts adjacent thereto,

and illustrating the feeler in contact with the bobbin in the ruiming shuttle; and

Fig, 6" is a vertical cross sectional view of the parts shown in Fig. 5.

The Yinvention is shown in the accompanying drawings as applied to the well known Northrop loom. A very common type of Northrop loom comprises a feeler mecha-- nism that operates at every other beat-up of the lay to engage the weft or lilling in the running shuttle and when the filling in the shuttle reaches a point of critical eX- haustion, that is, a point where s o little filling remains on the bobbin that it is likely to run out in the shed, the feeler mechanism operates a starting mechanism which initiates the action of the automatic weft relll) `just this lever about its pivot.

plenishingmeans. This starting mechanism comprises a bar 2, F ig. 4, secured fast on the lower end of a pivot stud that is mounted vertically in a housing 3 forming partof a bracket 4 which is secured rigidly to the breast beam. A spring coiled about the pivot stud tends to swing the bar 2 'forward toward the lay.

Then the feeler mechanism is tripped due to the depletion of the weft or filling on the bobbin in the running shuttle, this mechanism is operated through the motion of the lay to push the forward end of the bar 2 backwardly along an inclined surface 6 formed on a` bracket arm 7 which is supported by one arm 8 of a lever that is fulcruined at 9 on the stationary bracket 4. This movement of the bar 2 along the incline 6 depresses the lever arm 8, thus raising the other arm 10 of this lever, and the latter arm is provided with a linger that projects into a slot 11 formed in a link 12. A hammer 13, which is constantly operated by a cam motioii, normally swings back and forth immediately over the end of the link 12, but when this link is raised in the manner just described its end adjacent to the hammer is brought into the path of movement of thehammer, which then forces the link backwardly, thus acting througlii an arm 14 fast on the rock shaft 15 to turn this shaft slightly. This shaft 15 is the starting shaft for the transferring mechanism, as will readily be appreciated by those. skilled intliis art, and the series of operations just ldescribed initiates the action of the weft vreplenishing mechanism which then operates automatically, in this particular type of loom, to eject the spent bobbin and replace it by a full'bobbin. YAfter this operation has been completed the starting mechanism immediately drops back into its original condition, the bar 2 being returned to its former position by the coiled spring above referred to, and Vthe starting mechanism thereafter continues to remain in its inactive position until it is again brought into action by the feeler mechanism. i

All of the mechanism so far described is exactly like that used in the present Northrop loom. The present invention provides a novel mechanism for initiating the action of this starting mechanism. In the construction shown a bracket 16 is secured to the bar 2 by a set screw that projects upwardly through the bottom of the bracket and is provided with an ear to receive the pivot of a belly crank lever 17 Two screws 18 projecting through the vertical part of the bracket 16 and threaded in the vertical armof the lever 17 serve toad- Secured to the horizontal arm of this lever 17 is a plate 19 carrying a stud 2O on which is pivoted a lever or arm 2l, and a spring 22 coiled about thisstud acts on the arm 21V to hold it yieldingly against a stop 23, Fig. 3. The connection between the plate 19 and the lever 17 permits the adjustment of the arm 21 horizontally toward and from the lay, as L will be evident from an inspection of F ig. 1, this connection comprising two screws 24 projecting through slots formed in the plate 21 is actuated upon the call for illing'replenishment. In other words,this arm nor mally is stationary but it is the element to which motion is transmitted to actuate the starting mechanism Vuponthe call for filling replenishment. i Y i The feeler is ofthe caliper type and comprises a plunger havinga forked head to engage the bobbin B. Mechanism is provided to move this feeler into engagement with the bobbin when the shuttle S is boxed on the feeler side. of the loom, the lfeeler being reciprocated vertically into and out of the shuttle box.

As shown in the drawings, this feeler comprises a block or head 25 having plates 26-26 secured to theopposite sides thereof and projecting downwardly therefrom, -the lower ends of these plates being turned out-V wardly slightly away from each other. The plates are bolted to the head 25 and preferably are spaced slightly therefrom by shims 25 so that a very accurate adjustment can be obtained of the spacing of these plates from each other. The feeler is supported on the lower end of a plunger 27 provided with a split socket 28 to receive the. ball end 29 on a pin 30 that is secured to the feeler head block 25. A screw 31 secures the two parts of the socket 28 together. In order to limit the turning nrovement of the ball 29 in the socket 28 a pin 32'is secured fast in the ball 29 and'projects at oppositev sides thereof into holes drilled in the socket 28, these holes being slightly larger in Adiameter than the pin so that the feeler can move in any direction about the center of the ball 29, but this movement will be very limited due to the. construction just described.

The plunger 27 telescopes within a hollow slide or tube 33 and is guided in a bushing 34 secured by a.. set screw 35 in the lower end of the tube 33. This plunger has a square head 36 which is guided in a'square aperture extending longitudinallythrough the slide 33 and this slide also is guided in a square aperture formed in a bracket -37 which is secured by bolts 38-33, Fignl, to another arm 39 that is adjustable vertically on a bracket 40 securedto one side of the Y' lay L. Screws 41 secure the arm 39 in its adjusted relationship to the supporting llO bracket 40. It will be evident that the horizontal and vertical adjustments provided between the parts 37, 39 and l() enable an operato-r to) adjust the feeler into any desired position over the shuttle box. A coiled spring le encircling the plunger 27 acts on this plunger to hold it normally at the lower limit of its movement, this limit being de.- termined by the engagement of the head 36 with the bushing Another` spring bears at one end on the bracket 37 and at its opposite end against a head el@ provided on the upper end of the slide 33, and holds this slide at the upper limit oi its movement. This limit is determined by the engagement of a head or enlargement et? on the lower end of the slide with the lower face of the bracket 37.

For tl .e purpose of depressing the teeler to move it into engagement with the bobbin B when it is bonedl on the feeler side of the loom, a. roll L19 is mounted on the upper end of theslide 33, and a cam lever tulcrumed at 51 on the bracket 3'? rests on this roll. The upper surface ot this lever is engaged by a. roll 52 which is supported by an arm 53, the adjacent ends of these levers being slotted, as clearly shown in Fig. 1, so that they may be adjustedv relatively to each other, and a bolt 55 extends through both slots to secure these parts in their adjusted positions. The member 54 is secured b-y bolts 56 to a part 57 that is boltedV to the machine trame, the bolts 56 passing through a horizontal slot 58 in the` part 54 to enable the latter part to be adjusted horizont-ally.

lt will now be seen that when the lay beats forward toward the breast beam the lever 50 will strike the roll 52 back ot the cam surface on said lever, and as the lay continues to move forwardly the lever will be forced downwardly due to its. engagement with said roll. This movement of the lever will be transmitted through the roll 19, slide 33, and spring 114 to the plunger 27 and the eeler 25, thus forcing the eeler downwardly into engagement with the bobbin. The plates 2G-26 et the eeler are set the proper distance apart to straddle the bobbin when the filling thereon has -been reduced to the point oit critical exhaustion. Consequently, so long as the bobbin contains sulli` cient lilling so that its diameter exceeds the distance between the plates 2li-26, the downward movement of the feeler will be arrested by the bobbin and the remaining downward movement of the slide will result simply in compressing the light spring all'. lWhen, however, the filling on the bobbin is nearly exhausted the eeler will slide down over the bobbin, and this abnormal increase in the stroke or movement of the Jeeler is utilized to eiiiect the actuation of the starting mechanism for the weft replenishing means.

For this purpose one end of the feeler headJ is slotted and an actuator GO is mounted in this slot on a pivot (S1. This actuator is provided with a toe that projects downwardly at one side of the pivot 61 and into the space between the plates 26-26 of the teeler. A spring G3, Fig. 5, acts on t-he upper surface ot this toe to hold the actuator normally in a vertical position, as shown in. said ligure, but when the eeler moves down astride oithe bobbin i3 into the position shown in Fig. 5, the engagement of the toe 62 with the upper sui-tace ot the bol bin swings the actuator in a counter-clockwise direction into the position shown in said ligure. This actuator is curved, as shown in Figs. 1 and 3, and its lace toward the breast beam is grooved, as indicated at 64, so that after the actuator has been moved into this position, and as the lay continues to swing backwardly, it will engage the forward upstanding end ot the arm 21, and, due to the motion of the lay, move this arm backwardly thus forcing the bar 2, Fig. Al, back over the incline 6, depressing the lever 8, and raising the end of the link 12 into position to be struck by the hammer 13. ln other words, this movement ot the part combined with the motion et the lay actuates the starting mechanism 'for the bobbin changing apparatus.

It will be seen from an inspection of Figs. 5 and G that when the actuator is in its normal position, as shown in Fig. G, it lies entirely at one side of the arm 21 so that there is no contact between these parts except upon the call for lilling replenishment. lt will also be seen that the pivotal connection of the arm 21 with the plate 19 enables this arm to swing in a horizontal plane as it is moved backwardly to maintain the en gagement of its forward end with one ot the notches or grooves 6-1 during the completion of the swinging movement of the lay. fr spring 66, Fig. l, coiled about the pivot of the lever 50, holds this lever lightly on the roll 49 and prevents it from being thrown ott the roll on the upward stroke of the feeler.

The operation of the apparatus is as follows: Starting with the shuttle in the box on the magazine side oit the loom the lay starts on its backward stroke and when it reaches approximately the top center the pick occurs and the shuttle is shot through the shed into the box on the teeler side of the loom. After the lay passes the top center on its beat-up stroke the stationary roll 52 engages the cam lever 50 and forces it downwardly thus forcing the feeler into engagement with the iilling of the bobbin. It will be seen from an inspection orn Figs. 1 and 2 that the rise or cam surface in the lever 50 is considerably back of the end of this lever. Consequently, the downwart stroke olE the lieeler is completed consider- Lil ably before the lay has finished its beat-up stroke. After the roll has passed over this rise in the cam lever 50 it travels along a surface of the lever which is substantially concentric with the axis on which the lay oscillates so that a dwell is produced in the movement of the feeler.

If it is assumed that the bobbin is practically full at this time, the downward movement of the feeler will be stopped by the engagement of the feeler legs 26-26 with the filling, and the slide 33 vwill be forced down for a considerable distance over the plunger 2? thus compressing the light spring 44.

then the lay again beatsl backward the feeler will be raised by the strong spring 45 and the roll 52 will leave the lever 50 at the point where it came into contact with it on the beat-up stroke. On the next beatup stroke the feeler is simply forced down into the empty box.

This process is repeated until the diameter of the bobbin is reduced to a value substantially equal to the distance between the legs 26-26 of the feeler, the actuator 60 being held in its upright position by the spring 63 and moving in a path beside the arm 2l but entirely out of contact with said arm. lVhen however, the filling has become depleted to a predetermined point the feeler will be moved down astride of the bobbin thus rocking the actuator G0 on its pivot and producing the bobbin changing operation as above described.

Tt may here be pointed out that an important advantage of effecting the movement of the feeler into engagement with the bob-` bin through a light spring, such as 4A, and producing the reverse movement b y a strong spring, as 45, is that just before'the point of predetermined depletion of the yarn is reached for which the feeler has been adjusted, there is a tendency for the feeler to wedge on to the bobbin. This tendency is eifectually overcome by the spring arrangement above described since the downward stroke of the feeler is effected through the light spring, while its upward movement out of engagement with the bobbin is effected more powerfully through the strong spring 45. The mounting of the feeler on the plunger 27 so that it can have arlimited movement relatively to the plunger also .is of advantage in securing accuracy of operation, since it allows the feeler to adjust itself to the bobbin and therefore compensates for variations in the position of the bobbin in the shuttle. These variations in the position of the bobbin might without this flexible mounting of the feeler interfere very substantially with the accuracy and unformity of operation of the feeler, and it might also produce a wedging action of the plunger in its slide. Any danger of these undesirable results being produced by any reasonable variations in the position of the bobbin are etllectually overcome by this construction. These features contribute to the reliability of operation of the mechanism and permit a very close adjustment so that the quantity of yarn or filling to'be left on the bobbin can be Vcontrolled within very narrow limits. A further advantage of the mounting of the feeler so that it is moved lightly` into contact with the yarn is'that'it substantially eliminates any'liability of injuring the yarn, which action might be produced if the feeler were moved forcibly into contact with the bobbin. This would be particularly liable to happen when using fine yarns. Tnthis connection it may also be pointed out that the cam surface on the arm 50 is made such that the feeler strikes the yarn with less force than do the feelers in the present commercial machines with which I am familiar.

It will be seen from the foregoing description that the feeler mechanism provided by 'this invention when once adjusted is entirely independent for its operation on minor variations in the stroke of the lay, and that its adjustment is not affected by variations in this stroke or any vibration of the machine. Y Y

lhile I have herein shown and described the best embodiment of the-'invention of which l am at present aware, it will be understood by those skilled in this art that this embodiment may be modified in minor details of construction and arrangement of the parts without departing from the spirit or scope of this invention.

that is claimed as new is:

l. In a loom having power operated means for automatically effecting a predetermined change therein, aV caliper feeler mounted for engagement with the bobbin in the running shuttle, mechanism for moving said feeler downwardly into the top of the shuttle box into engagement with said bobbin and out of engagement 'therewith again, and an actuator for said means pivotally connected with said feeler and dependent for its movement into operative position upon a substantial increase in the downward movement of said feeler whenV the filling on said bobbin reaches a point of critical exhaustion.

2. In a loom Vhaving power operated means for automatically effecting a predetermined change therein, a vcaliper feeler controlling the operation of said means, and supporting and operating mechanism for said feeler operative to move it into and out of engagement with the bobbin in the running shuttle, said mechanism beingk Vconstructed and arranged to enable said feeler to have a limited universal movement whereby it automatically adjusts itself to the bobbin upon engagement therewith.

3. In a loom shuttle having powerroperated means for effecting a predetermined change therein, the combination of a starting mechanism for mechanically initiating the operation of said means, an actuator for said mechanism, said actuator being normally held in an inoperative position with reference to said mechanism and arranged to be moved into its operative position by contact with the bobbin in the running shuttle, and a caliper Jfeeler normally preventing the contact of said actuator with said bobbin but operative to effect such contact when the filling on said bobbin reaches a point of critical exhaustion.

4. In a loom having power operated means for eecting a predetermined change therein, the combination of an actuator for mechanically initiating the operation -oit said means, a caliper :teeler connected with said actuator, said actuator being mounted for movement relatively to said eeler, and being dependent for its operative movement upon the movement of said eeler.

5. In a loom having power operated means for effecting a predetermined change therein, the combination of an actuator for mechanically initiating the operation oit said means, a caliper eeler on which said actuator is mounted for movement relatively to said eeler, and means Jfor normally holding said actuator in an inoperative position, said actuator being arranged to iave its operative movement produced by an abnormal movement of said eeler.

6. In a loom having power operated means for automatically eilecting a predetermined change therein, mechanism including a caliper' eeler -itor initiating the operation of said means, means for moving said eeler into and out of engagement with the bobbin in the running shuttle, and an actuator Jfor said power operated means pivotally mounted on the eeler and having a part between the legs of said eeler to engage the bobbin.

7 In a loom having power operated means for automatically effecting a predetermined change therein, mechanism including a caliper feeler for initiating the operation of said means, means for moving said feeler into and out of engagement with the bobbin in the ruiming shuttle, an actu ator for said power operated means pivotally mounted on the feeler and having a part between the legs ot said teeler to engage the bobbin, and means normally holding said actuator in ran inoperative position but permitting it to be moved into its operative position upon engagement with said bobbin.

S. In a loom having power operated means for automatically effecting a predetermined change therein, a caliper feeler mounted for engagement with the bobbin in the running shuttle, a plunger supporting said eeler, a hollow slide in which said plunger is mounted, a light spring acting between said slide and plunger to move the plunger toward the bobbin, a support for said slide mounted on the lay, a strong spring acting on said slide to move it away from said bobbin, and stationary means for utilizing the motion of the lay to force said slide downwardly against the action of said strong spring.

9. In a loom having power operated means for automatically effecting a predetermined change therein, a caliper feeler mounted for engagement with the bobbin in the running shuttle, a plunger supporting said feeler, a hollow slide in which said plunger is mounted, a light spring acting between said slide and plunger to move the plunger toward the bobbin, a support Jfor said slide mounted on the lay, a strong spring acting on said slide to move it away from said bobbin, a cam lever carried by said support and acting on the upper end of said slide, and a stationary roll cooperating with said cam lever upon the beat-up of the lay to depress said lever and slide and thereby move the eeler into engagement with the bobbin.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification.

HENRY H. GOVE. 

